Health scientists are encouraged by what they see as unprecedented openness and collaboration between research teams that enables treatments and more accurate predictions of its spread. Some credit the new transparency to the entry of computer scientists into the field, often bringing a greater commitment to transparency. There are signs that China is cooperating, but U.S. officials just asked for more information on the potential of the disease for person-to-person transmission. (Quartz, February 1, 2020, by Tim McDonnell)
Dr. Adarsh Madhavan, Asian Lite News, January 28, 2020, is skeptical about China’s commitment to full transparency given its record on SARS in 2003 when officials withheld critical information and under-reported the number with the disease. Although the Chinese government promises transparency, it may well waver to hide information that proves embarrassing.